President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has praised and described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the "leader of the Islamic world" although Turkey is a secular country.

Speaking at Noonu Maafaru on Friday night to inaugurate the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Air Corps, Muizzu said Erdogan makes the Islamic world proud.

Gesturing to the initiation of surveillance of the Maldivian waters for the first time using UAVs, Muizzu said Erdogan played a pivotal role in realizing the goal.

“I received the biggest support in this from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom the Islamic Ummah is proud of and whom we all see as the leading figure of the Islamic Ummah at the moment,” Muizzu said.

He stated that the Maldives received three UAVs and hoped to increase the number through the close bilateral ties between Turkey and the Maldives. He added that most of it was received through grant aid from Türkiye.

Muizzu said the discussions on purchasing drones began during his official visit to Turkey after assuming office.

"Less than two weeks after the people decided to hand over the responsibility to me, he [Erdogan] invited me to visit the country and welcomed me warmly. The reason this became a reality today is the attention he gave to this," Muizzu said.

Although only three drones have been put to use now, Muizzu said more will be operational in the future. This would also be facilitated by his close relationship with Erdogan, he added.